UHezekheli 8
1 Ngomnyaka wesithupha, ngenyanga yesithupha ngosuku lwesihlanu, lapho ngangihlezi endlini yami labadala bakoJuda behlezi phambi kwami, isandla sikaThixo Wobukhosi sehlela phezu kwami khonapho.
And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the fifth month, on the fifth [day] of the month, I was sitting in the house, and the elders of Juda were sitting before me: and the hand of the Lord came upon me.
2 Ngakhangela, ngabona ulutho olwalulesimo somuntu. Kusukela kokwakungathi lukhalo lwakhe kusiya phansi wayenjengomlilo, njalo kusukela lapho kusiya phezulu ukubonakala kwakhe kwakhazimula njengensimbi evuthayo.
And I looked, and, behold, the likeness of a man: from his loins and downwards [there was] fire, and from his loins upwards [there was] as the appearance of amber.
3 Welula okwakukhanya angathi yisandla wangibamba ngenwele zekhanda lami. UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu phakathi komhlaba lezulu, kwathi ngemibono kaNkulunkulu wangisa eJerusalema, ekungeneni kwesango langasenyakatho yeguma langaphakathi, lapho okwakumi khona isithombe esibangela ubukhwele.
And he stretched forth the likeness of a hand, and took me by the crown of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and sky, and brought me to Jerusalem in a vision of God, to the porch of the gate that looks to the north, where was the pillar of the Purchaser.
4 Njalo khonapho phambili kwami kwakulenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengasembonweni engawubona egcekeni.
And, behold, the glory of the Lord God of Israel was there, according to the vision which I saw in the plain.
5 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khangela ngasenyakatho.” Ngakho ngakhangela, kwathi entubeni esenyakatho kwesango le-alithari ngabona lesisithombe sobukhwele.
And he said to me, Son of man, lift up your eyes toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes toward the north, and, behold, [I looked] from the north toward the eastern gate.
6 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, uyakubona yini abakwenzayo, izinto ezenyanyekayo kakhulu indlu ka-Israyeli ezenzayo lapha, izinto ezizangixotshela khatshana lendawo yami engcwele? Kodwa wena uzabona izinto ezenyanyekayo kakhulukazi kulalezi.”
And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what these do? They commit great abominations here so that I should keep away from my sanctuary: and you shall see yet greater iniquities.
7 Emva kwalokho wangisa entubeni yeguma. Ngakhangela, ngabona imbobo emdulini.
And he brought me to the porch of the court.
8 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khathesi gubha umduli.” Ngakho ngawugubha umduli ngasengibona umnyango khona.
And he said to me, Son of man, dig: so I dug, and behold a door.
9 Wasesithi kimi, “Ngena ubone izinto ezimbi lezenyanyekayo abazenzayo lapha.”
And he said to me, Go in, and behold the iniquities which they practise here.
10 Ngakho ngangena phakathi ngakhangela, ngabona indawo yonke emidulini kufanekiswe inhlobo zezinto zonke ezihuquzelayo lezinyamazana ezenyanyekayo kanye lezithombe zonke zasendlini ka-Israyeli.
So I went in and looked; and saw vain abominations, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon them round about.
11 Phambi kwazo kwakumi abadala bendlu ka-Israyeli abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa, loJazaniya indodana kaShafani emi phakathi kwabo. Omunye lomunye wayephethe udengezi lokutshisela impepha ngesandla, luthunqa intuthu elephunga elimnandi elempepha.
And seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and Jechonias the son of Saphan stood in their presence in the midst of them, and each one held his censer in his hand; and the smoke of the incense went up.
12 Wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, ukubonile yini okwenziwa ngabadala bendlu ka-Israyeli emnyameni, omunye lomunye esendaweni yokukhonzela isithombe sakhe? Bathi, ‘UThixo kasiboni; uThixo uselilahlile ilizwe.’”
And he said to me, You have seen, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel do, each one of them in their secret chamber: because they have said, The Lord see not; The Lord has forsaken the earth.
13 Wabuye wathi, “Uzababona besenza izinto ezenyanyeka okudlula lokho.”
And he said to me, You shall see yet greater iniquities which these do.
14 Emva kwalokho wangisa ekungeneni kwesango lasenyakatho kwendlu kaThixo, ngabona abesifazane behlezi khona belilela uThamuzi.
And he brought me in to the porch of the house of the Lord that looks to the north; and, behold [there were] women sitting there lamenting for Thammuz.
15 Wasesithi kimi, “Uyakubona lokhu na, ndodana yomuntu? Uzabona izinto ezenyanyeka kakhulu kulalokhu.”
And he said to me, Son of man, you have seen; but you shall yet see [evil] practices greater then these.
16 Wasengisa egumeni lendlu kaThixo elingaphakathi, njalo khonapho ekungeneni kwethempeli, phakathi komkhandlu le-alithari, kwakulamadoda ayengaba ngamatshumi amabili lanhlanu. Ayekhothamele phansi elangeni empumalanga, efulathele ithempeli likaThixo. Ubuso bawo bukhangele empumalanga.
And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty men, with their back parts toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces [turned] the opposite way; and these were worshipping the sun.
17 Wathi kimi, “Sewake wakubona lokhu na ndodana yomuntu? Kuyinto encane na ukuthi indlu kaJuda yenze izinto ezenyanyekayo abazenza lapha? Kumele ilizwe baligcwalise futhi ngodlakela, njalo bangithukuthelise kokuphela na? Bakhangele bebeka ugatsha empumulweni yabo!
And he said to me, Son of man, you have seen this. [Is it] a little thing to the house of Juda to practise the iniquities which they have practised here? for they have filled the land with iniquity: and, behold, these are as scorners.
18 Ngakho ngizabaphatha ngentukuthelo; angiyikuba lesihawu kubo ngibayekele. Lanxa sebeklabalalela ezindlebeni zami, kangiyikubalalela.”
Therefore will I deal with them in wrath: mine eye shall not spare, nor will I have any mercy.
